Is your life better now?

This is one of the topics posted on CNN Open Forum for the coming New Year. I pondered on it for awhile then switched to Solar to catch the game.

Today is Rizal Day. We’re supposed to be commemorating the martyrdom of our national hero over a century ago, but the terrorist bombing 4 years ago put another reason for our country to look back. To answer the question though, my life has changed for the better, even for a small degree. It had its ups and downs but I had more ups this year. Professionaly, I couldn’t ask for more. I am enjoying my work, not the bulk though but the quality of it. The company I work for has tested all my abilities to it’s fullest. Nevermind the if amount of work I put into it has limited my social engagements. I’ve come to terms with it, even if my weekends aren’t rest days anymore.

Socially, well. Ho-hum. It’s still so-so. When someone asks me about my love life, they always get my trademark response, “Hehe, as usual, may life pero walang love.” Or when a relative asks when am I getting married, I normally tell them, “Don’t worry, malalaman nyo naman eh.”. At least, I’ve gotten used to it, even if my boss would always tease me when will I let him meet “my girlfriend.”. I’ve already told him why, at 32 years old, I’m still single. Maybe I’m still hung over my previous hurts, or maybe not. I’ve closed that chapter of my life a long time ago and it’s time to move on. I just need Cocoy to constantly remind me though to never again give a dog to a girl or never introduce your girfriend or "nililigawan" to your “barkada” unless you’re certain you’ll end up together. It's a jinx my close friends try to overcome. (sigh)

I’ve met with some of my friends last night for a post-christmas party. If there’s one thing that make my life more bearable is because of them, and all of my friends in general. They’re always there if you want to goof around, even if I see them a lot less time than the year before. Even though some of them have gone overseas to work, I’m still thankful.

2005 beckons in less than 2 days and I, like everyone have my resolutions for the new year, even if they have a shelf life of 1 month.

1. I have 5 credit cards and hopefully before the next year, I will only have 1 I’ve already saved enough to finish paying off at least 2 before tax time. Hopefully, by next years end, I’ll only have my Citibank-Visa.
2. Since I’m not paying as many credit cards as before, finally I’ll be able to save up more and spend for things I really need.
3. I need to shed a few pound ( kilograms would be more appropriate) to really stay fit. My buddy and I started to do long walks during Sundays and hopefully, by January we can pick-up where we left off. I’ve also started playing Badminton coz my boss is so fond of it. It’s easier to play and organize than basketball since you only need 2-4 persons and there’s lots of playing courts around. Hopefully I can learn another sport next year.
4. Hopefully, I’ll have enough time and resources to start studying for a Master’s degree before the next school year. I miss going to school and I’m already starting to forget a lot of things I used to know when I was still teaching. Besides, they will only allow those with Master’s degrees to teach at the college level. I’m not in a hurry though to go back to teaching though.
5. My eyesight deteriorated from 50-25 2 years back to 150-175 just last month and I had the flu quite a few to many times last year. Case in point, I must stay healthy and “always” follow what the doctor tells you.
6. This bloging thing is really therapautic, hopefully I can continue doing this.
7. I’m a Scorpio- Water Rat. Hopefully, the stars will give me lots of cheese this year and not just the holes.

Going back to my question, Is your life better now? Since I saw this one on TV, My answer will also be from TV. In the show Straight Talk, the outgoing British Ambassador to the Philippines was asked on How he sees the country, “Is it half-full or half-empty?” He said you should also look at the quality of the glass.

Well, for me, I always see the glass half-full, and I’m always thankful that the glass was there and someone offered me a drink.

A toast for a better life for all of us! Happy New Year, everyone!

D.M.

Aarrrgh. It's Christmas eve and I still haven't started my christmas shopping!

Call me lazy. I thought I started early this time since I've already thought of the gifts (and giveaways) I'm going to buy since October and It's only now that I'm doing my shopping.

It's still 12 hours till Christmas and I'm in Greenhills. There's not as many people as I am expecting but hey, I'm not complaining. I was in D.M. earlier today to look for, nee buy some boxes/ packaging for some of the gifts that I already have. D. M. or Divisoria Market, or mall to some people is jampacked with people as always. I used to work near the area so the number of people didn't surprise me. I'm used to it. What I'm not used to anymore is the smell, caused by the fact that there are huge piles of trash in certain portions of the street. It took me by surprise that the building where our office stood was torn down and in it's place is "another" mall. And I still have some things I left from that office since I kinda left unexpected.

Anyway, I'm searching for those plastic containers that some figurines come with. Anyway, when I do find the store that sells them, they only sell by bulk, and when I'm going to buy 25 pieces (when in fact I need only 7), they tell me that they can't sell me because their warehouse is closed until Monday. Sigh.

Not finding what I needed, I tried to look for alternative packaging options and if there's one thing I learned today is when you go to D.M., it's always better to buy in bulk coz no one's selling by piece, except those selling from the sidewalk.

I'm already through with the few gifts that I intended to buy. I still have a few errands more before I proceed home. I wish they'll like the gifts I have for them. If not, there's always next year.

Happy Christmas na lang.

Dawn Mass # 1

(Yawn!)

Just came back from hearing the 1st of 9 dawn masses a while ago. It's been 4 or 5 years since I tried to attend all of them. I hope I'll be able to this time 'coz I have a lot of things to be thankful for and it's the least I could do. The Mass celebrant is a familiar face everytime "simbang gabi" comes, and he gave us these words to ponder in preparation of the novena...

We must live simply so that others may simply live.

A short solution for a long list of problems..

Dad.

My father would have been 61 years old this year. He would have been doting on his granddaughter "Gellie" for over 2 years now, and he would have enjoyed every moment of it. This was our last family picture, taken New Years day, 1983. My Mom took this photo of me and my siblings with our Dad. Seven months later, my father would succumb to a heart attack and changed our lives altogether.

I always wonder how come I remember vividly the events on that night. It was a Friday, 19th of August 1983. I don't remember him coming home from work at the usual hour that he does. Maybe, he was with his officemates unwinding after a whole week at work. I only remember waking up as I heard my Mom trying to wake him up. I also recall trying to help her, though she would later say that I was asleep the whole time. Looking out the window, my Mom rush my father to the hospital only to be pronounce D.O.A. I fell asleep waiting for them to return. When I awoke, my Lola and other relatives were already at our house. It was 5 am. My Mom, in all her grace told me na "wala na ang Daddy mo" while trying to keep her composure. I was 10 years old, our youngest who just celebrated his 1st birthday a month ago, was still asleep.

My younger sister and I was fetched around 11am to go to the funeral home where we would spend the next few days. My other sister went with my Tita to inform ny Dad's mother in Malabon. 1983 was a dreadful year for our family. a month back, a grandmother passed away just when my cousins came back from the U.S. She just waited for their return after having been in the hospital for a month. My Father was the one who answered the phone when Lola Maya died. In December that same year, mom's father also died while vacationing at his eldest home in Las Piñas. It was only a year before when my brother and 2 other cousins were born, all in one year. Maybe heaven ran out of souls because one year hence, 3 members of our family died, all in one year also. My Dad was transfered at the church in the town were he grew up before his internment. My father was laid to rest at about the same time as Ninoy's burial, making me think that the whole country was mourning as our family mourned.

On the 15th, my Dad would have turned 61. Here's a Happy, Happy Birthday to you.

Spanglish

I can't wait for James Brook's movie "Spanglish" to be shown here. It stars 2 of the prettiests actresses in the world today (but thats just me, of course), Tea Leoni and Paz Vega, of Sex and Lucia fame. I hope it gets shown after New Years.

you've just been eliminated!

It's official! Lena and Kristy was the last team to check in at last night's Amazing Race 6. Hey, they didn't even get to the pit stop, Phil came to them after 9 plus hours unbundling bales of hay. How unlucky can you get. I cannot imagine watching the show without them. Anyway, I just have this habit of rooting for a team just before they get eliminated. Hey, story of my life... Just when you thought things will go your way... it doesn't.

Yoyong is howling outside as I'm typing this and good thing I was able to hitch a ride from work a few hours ago. I heard there aren't many PUV's around after PAGASA declared signal #2. I hope it doesn't get worse, especially since the last one, Winnie was devastating.

Christmas is only 3 weeks away and I still haven't started my gift shopping. I have this habit of shopping after Christmas Eve 'coz that's the only time I'm free (or putting off some work) to shop for myself and my family. It only dawned on me that I'm slowly becoming one of those guys whose always working and forgetting certain occassions and not preparing enough for it and buying gifts "just so" I have something to give. I certainly hope I could prevent it from transforming me entirely. 3 weeks to go till Christmas and 1 week more till 2005.